A Man to His Mate

for the bell to be struck. The giant leaned by the bowsprit, his spectacled eyes seeming to gaze ahead into the gray of the northern sky, and it seemed to Rainey as if

iney, fresh from the warm cabin, wi

giant heard him and in

hunters last night?" he qu

said Rainey. "They got m

ut yore stakin' yore

game. I lost two thousand seven hundred dollars," he added with a laugh. "No chips unde

m to worry

t of ghost money,

of it," retorted Lund.

treated as an outsider, though they were friendly enough. B

," grunted Lund.

magined it would be best not

e, all right. An' that means two things. We're nigh one of the Aleutians, an' Bering Strait is full of ice. Early, a bit,

keen to maroon you. An' they'll think twice about puttin' me ashore blind. I used to git along fine wi

igator, had determined to leave them stranded on some volcanic, lonely bar

lors-" h

gate. I ain't worryin' about them. I'm goin' to git my coffee. I was up afore dawn, try

ully, he thought, and yet furtively. A thickening atmosphere of something unusual afoot seemed present. And the actual weather grew distinctly colder. He had go

ng to Rainey, but the latter noticed the doctor's face seemed

ain. Tamada served perfectly and silently. The doctor conversed with the girl in a

r?" asked Lund, at

d him, but the

at all, and Rainey wondered if she had experienced any

ificantly at Rainey as if to suggest that the doctor was going to foregathe

said. "Eyes hurt me. It

ked Rainey as Lund disappeared

d says he can smell it, and I think I

ame back to the table where Rainey still sat. He had four hours of

by to-morrow morning," she said. "Unalaska or

d to talk to her. He held a notion that she was lonely, and worried about her fathe

ou a questio

rel

I may be wrong, but you seemed to make

ming over to the table and standing across from hi

t over since. I do not think that any man who would risk his life to save that lad

d at her in

you know I did not intend to go on

f stress for the schooner. They were steady, and the pupils had dilated while the irises held the color of steel.

r knowledge of this treasure to gain a share in it, under a co

little. His wrath mastered his judgment. He did not intend to spare her feelings. What di

cy," he said, "if you did not evolve it from yo

e gasped. "Who

n himself," a

closing her eyes,

return. He, too, was afraid I might give the snap away to my paper, though I would have given him my word not to. He told me it was a matter of business, that he had kidnapped m

o me, I mean. I will give you my word that I knew nothing of this. I-

a twinge o

anything to do with it. Mr. Carlsen may have convinced him it was the on

man who put chlo

gain. Won't you accept it? Perhaps, later, we can talk this matte

across the table an

ked. "I need a friend aboa

ly plucky, he thought; she would stand up to her guns, but she sudd

urely,"

than her mere grasp lingering, a slight tingling that warmed him to s

you," s

denied that she was to marry Carlsen. But he shrugged his shoulders as he started to smoke.

bbing in her room, and he got up and paced

decent girl could think of mating up with him is beyond me-unless-by gad, I'll bet he's working through her

ened, and a head was poked in cautio

I was through with the dishes. I wanted to have a talk w

iney, and ushered Sandy

tood by the partition, slouching, irresolute, his slack jaw

said Sandy. "I've bin warned to hold my tongue. Deming

wn, Sandy; I won'

in' on. Me, of course I don't ermount to much. Why would I? If I ever had mother an' father, I never laid eyes on 'em. I've made my own livin' sence I was eight. I've never '

ey n

w, quickly. You may b

n the lad's dry throat, and

Tamada's a Jap. The men is sore at Mr. Lund becoz he sez the skipper left him be'ind on the ice. Carlsen's worked that up, too. Said Lund made 'em all out to be cowards. 'Cept Hansen, that is. He don

wild, or the men had been making a fool of him. The girl's share would be thrown into the common lot. And then flashed over him the trick by which Carlsen had disposed of all the amm

ndy," he s

what Carlsen put up to 'em. But they warn't in favor of that. Said Lund found the gold, an' ought to have an ekal share with the rest. An' th

arn all this?"

I keeps my ears open when I waits on the hunters. But they ain't goin' to give you no share becoz you warn't in

ut Capta

marry the gal. That'll giv' him three shares-countin' the skipper'

coming off?"

that this mornin'. I hid in my bunk. It heads ag'inst the wall o

h Amukat or Seguam Pass. An' they'll put it up to Lund an' the skipper somewheres

smarter than I thought y

buck my own way without gittin' on ter myself. Y

appen to come out on top, Sandy, I'l

k you

ny one comes in before you get clear, I'll g

went back into his own room to line the thing up. Lund was asleep, but he would waken him, he decided

nst the proposition. He was sure that Lund would not consent to it. And

e did not doubt. He intended eventually to gather all the gold. And the girl-she would be in his power. But perhaps

ming out of her

er?" aske

lsen came along because of father's sciatica, but-there's somethin

pped ab

the doctor lon

. I live with my father's brother when father is at sea

tely checking herself from a re

cisco?" asked Rainey, remembering Lund's out

appened he was able to go along. Of course, father promise

looking uncertainly at Rainey

, "are you going to m

It was Carlsen, now swiftly advancing toward him, his face livi

you had better go in to your father. I'll be in th

ed himself. The girl looked at both of them and slowly went into the cap

ed interloper," he said. "What in hell d

s my bu

I suppose you're soft on the girl yourself," he sneered. "Think yourself

id Rainey, quietly. "As for you,

opening and caught him high on the jaw, sending him staggering back, crashing

gger, and the bullet smashed through the skylight above them, while Rainey forced

the girl and

'll be you, Carlsen! You're too fond

ion. Carlsen recovered his gun and put it away

he said. "If I

utter loathing, at w

The captain's life is in my hands. And he and I are the only navigators aboard this vessel, except a fool of a blind man," he added